decern

English

Etymology

First attested in late Middle English circa 1425; from the French décerner, from the Latin dēcernō (“I decide, pronounce a decision”), from dē (“of, from, away from”) + cernō (“I separate, distinguish”), whence the English cern. In Old French, the forms of décerner were frequently conflated with those of descerner, discerner; the two verbs were not clearly distinguished until the 16th century; hence, in English also, decern is found with the sense discern.

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: dĭsûrnʹ, IPA^(key): /dɪˈsɝn/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: dĭsûrnʹ, IPA^(key): /dɪˈsɜːn/
• Homophone: discern

Verb

decern (third-person singular simple present decerns, present participle decerning, simple past and past participle decerned)

1. Decide; determine; decree.
   1. (obsolete, transitive) Decide; determine (a matter disputed or doubtful).
      1. with simple object
      2. with infinitive or object clause
      3. intransitive
   2. (transitive, Scots law) Decree by judicial sentence.
      1. with simple object
      2. Decree by judicial sentence that something be done.
      3. Decree a person etc. to be or to do something by judicial sentence.  (in the phrase “to decern in”, obsolete) To mulct in by decree of court.
         • 1668 July 3rd, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), pages 547–548

           He purſued Andrew Houſtoun upon his promiſe, to give him the like Sallary for the next year, and in abſence obtained him to be holden as confeſt and Decerned.

      4. intransitive
      5. transferred sense
2. Discern.
   1. (obsolete, transitive) Distinguish or separate by their differences (things that differ, one thing from another).
      1. (intransitive) Distinguish; discriminate between.
   2. See distinctly (with the eyes or the mind); distinguish (an object or fact); discern.

Derived terms

• decerning (verbal substantive)
• decerniture (Scots law)
• decernment (obsolete)

Related terms

• decernent (obsolete)

References

• “Decern, v.” listed on pages 92–93 of volume III (D–E), § i (D) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1897]
• “decern, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]